


keeping our eyes open (for something great)

by dearingsattler



Category: Good Witch (TV)
Genre: Abigail the bisexual disaster, Cassie's amazing life advice, F/F, First Kiss, Fluff and Angst, Love Confessions, of sorts
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-10-27
Updated: 2018-10-27
Packaged: 2019-08-08 04:59:54
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,026
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16422857
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/dearingsattler/pseuds/dearingsattler
Summary: "I kissed Stephanie."





	keeping our eyes open (for something great)

**Author's Note:**

> First time writing anything for this ship and this fandom, hope it turned out okay!

Abigail sat in the greenhouse, staring silently out the window.  An unusual sight to anyone who knew her well.  She was snapped out of her reverie, however, by Cassie entering the room.

“There you are,” her cousin greeted her.  “I stopped by your shop this afternoon to drop some vases off, but it was closed.  Is everything okay?”

Abigail looked up.  “Everything’s fine.”  She gave Cassie what she hoped looked like a genuine smile.

No such luck.  “You want to talk about it?”  Cassie asked, taking in Abigail’s fake smile and glassy eyes.

Abigail sighed.  “Why is it I can never get anything past you?”

Cassie smiled gently.  “You’re family, Abigail, I care about you.”  She sat across from Abigail and loosely clasped her hand.  “What’s going on?”

Abigail took a deep breath.  Now or never.  “I kissed Stephanie.”

Cassie, to her credit, did not even blink.  “I take it that it didn’t go according to plan?”

Abigail blinked a couple of times, tears threatening to fall again.  “There wasn’t even a plan, I just kind of did it.”  She paused, taking a ragged breath.  “God, how could I be so stupid?  I might have just ruined the best friendship I have.”

“I’m sure that’s not true.”  Cassie gripped Abigail’s hand harder.  “How did Stephanie react?”

“She didn’t.”  Abigail’s voice was hollow.  “She didn’t react at all, but she didn’t need to.”

“What makes you say that?”

“If she had felt anything at all she would have reacted in some way.”  Abigail felt a tear slip down her cheek.  “I shouldn’t have done it.”

Cassie gave her a concerned look.  “And why do you think that?”

“Our friendship means a lot to me.  Honestly I’ve never had a friend like Stephanie before and I don’t want to lose that.”  Abigail looked up, meeting Cassie’s eye.  “I can’t lose that.”

“You won’t,” Cassie said, meaningfully.

“How do you know that?  I just kissed my best friend who, just last week, I was pushing Liam towards, then they get together, and I immediately turn around and kiss her.  I would hate me.”  She wiped her eyes with her free hand.

Cassie smiled, knowingly.  “I would give Stephanie more credit than that if I were you.”

“Even if I didn’t find that hard to believe, I can’t face her.  Not yet.”  Abigail shook her head.

“I’m sure you’ll be ready when the time is right.”  Cassie gave Abigail’s hand one last squeeze before standing.  “I’m going to go make us tea.”

Abigail nodded.  “Cassie?”

Cassie paused.  “Yeah?”

“Thank you.”  Abigail gave Cassie a grateful look, eyes still red rimmed.

Cassie smiled.  “Of course.”

 

Cassie looked up from what she had been doing as she heard the door to her shop open.  “Hello, Stephanie.”  She turned to greet the woman in question, noting that she looked distressed.

Stephanie crossed the room to where Cassie was standing.  “I need advice.”  She took a sip of her drink.

Cassie raised an eyebrow as the smell wafted over.  “Hot chocolate?”

“I don’t know what to think anymore.  And my mind has just been so all over the place that I’ve needed comfort, and when I need comfort I start craving, well,” she indicated her drink, “chocolate.”

“And why has your mind been all over the place?”  Cassie led Stephanie over to the couch and the pair sat down.

Stephanie sighed.  “I ended things with Liam last night.”

“Why?  I thought you liked him.”

“So did I, but now I don’t know anymore.”  Stephanie felt tears prick at the backs of her eyes and willed them away.

Cassie gave her a look of concern.  “What changed?”  She asked softly.

“I found out that someone else likes me, someone that I’ve never thought of in that way before.  But now…” Stephanie trailed off.

“But now you’re considering them in that way,” Cassie finished her friend’s thought.

“I don’t know.  Maybe?”  Stephanie looked up from her drink at Cassie.  “I don’t know how I feel.”

“Have you tried talking to this person?  Maybe it would help you gain perspective.”

“I’ve tried, but she won’t respond to my messages and every time I go by her shop or Grey House she isn’t there.”  Stephanie covered her mouth with her hand, eyes widening as she realized what she had just said.

Cassie put a hand on Stephanie’s forearm.  “It’s okay, Abigail told me.”

“Oh.”  Stephanie cast her gaze downward again.

“Yeah, she’s pretty torn up about this, but I get the feeling so are you.”  Cassie observed Stephanie as she spoke, giving her an encouraging look.

“I don’t know what I am.”  Stephanie looked up again, tears brimming in her eyes.

“What’s something you do know?”

A ghost of a smile flitted across Stephanie’s face.  “That somehow, some way, Abigail became my best friend.”  She took a deep, shuddering breath.  “And I can’t lose her.”

“You won’t,” Cassie said emphatically.

“How do you know that?”  Stress seeped into Stephanie’s voice.  “She won’t even talk to me.”

“I’m sure Abigail will talk to you when she’s ready.”  Cassie smiled knowingly.  “And in the meantime, maybe you can spend a bit more time figuring out what’s going on in your head.”

“I think I will.”  Stephanie looked up at Cassie once more.  “Thank you.”

Cassie pulled Stephanie into a hug.  “Anytime.”

 

Cassie felt a familiar sensation come over, turning and placing a mug in front of Abigail just as she entered the kitchen.  “Feeling any better?”

“Not really.”  Abigail sat down, accepting the offered mug.  “I’m thinking I might take a trip and visit some old friends in New York for a while.”

Cassie’s brow furrowed.  “Running away isn’t the solution to this, Abigail.”

Abigail smiled tightly, taking a sip of her drink.  “Sure it is.”

“No, it isn’t.”  Cassie bit back an exasperated sigh.  “You need to talk to Stephanie.”

“And say what? ‘Oh, I’m sorry for kissing you, I didn’t mean it and I hope this doesn’t ruin our friendship’?”  Abigail took on an irritated tone.  “Except that I did mean it so that would be a lie.”

Cassie’s face softened.  “You’re really in love with her, aren’t you?”

“I am,” Abigail admitted.  “And I don’t know how to deal with it.”

“You know,” Cassie said thoughtfully.  “A little bird told me today that Stephanie broke up with Liam.”

Abigail looked up sharply.  “She what?”

Cassie nodded.  “Yeah, last night.  Apparently, she’s not so certain about how she feels anymore.”

“Wait, you don’t think…” Abigail trailed off.

“I think there’s a fair chance that she feels the same way, yeah.”

“But she didn’t react.”  Abigail stamped down the feeling of hope.

“She didn’t know how.”  Cassie moved to reassure Abigail.  “She had never considered the possibility before, in that moment she didn’t know what to think.”

Realization crept into Abigail’s eyes.  “The little bird was Stephanie, wasn’t it?”  Cassie nodded.  “Did she say anything else?”

Cassie shook her head fondly.  “I think you should ask her that, not me.”

“But that requires talking to her.”

“You can’t avoid Stephanie forever.”

Another tight-lipped smile.  “Sure I can.”

“You need to stop deflecting, Abigail. It isn’t fair.”  Cassie gave Abigail a hard look.  “To either of you.”

Abigail sighed.  “I guess you’re right.”

“I know it’s hard, but it’s what you need to do.”  Cassie rubbed Abigail’s shoulder.  “Just know that I’m here if you need me.”

Abigail smiled wanly.  “Thanks, cuz.”

 

_From: Abigail, 8:23_

              We need to talk

_From: Stephanie, 8:25_

              We do.  I’m closing tonight but you could come by my place after

_From: Abigail, 8:28_

              I’ll see you then

 

Abigail paused in front of Stephanie’s door, taking a deep breath to try and calm her nerves before knocking.  Stephanie opened the door a moment later, silently indicating for Abigail to come in.  Abigail followed her inside and into the living room, the pair sitting on opposite ends of the couch.

“So,” Abigail finally said after a few minutes, breaking the uncomfortable silence.

“The other day,” Stephanie’s voice was hardly above a whisper, “did you mean it?”

“I-” Abigail sighed.  “I don’t want to ruin what we have.  We’re good the way we are.”

“It’s a little late for that, things have changed whether we like it or not.”  Stephanie swallowed back tears before repeating, “did you mean it?”

Abigail bit the inside of her lip, trying to find the right thing to say.  “I did.”  She looked at Stephanie, hesitantly.  When Stephanie did not react, Abigail backtracked.  “I’ll just go.  I can just disappear for a while and then maybe things can go back to the way they were.”  She got up and left the room, avoiding eye contact with Stephanie.

She was nearly out the door when she heard Stephanie behind her.  “Abigail, wait!”  Abigail turned, rebuttal dying on her lips as Stephanie pulled her down and smashed their lips together.

Abigail’s mind went blank.  She instinctively took control, backing Stephanie against the wall as their lips moved together, hands tangling in each other’s hair –

Abigail pulled back abruptly as she came back to herself.  “Wait, stop,” she panted.

“What’s wrong?”  Stephanie was also panting, hair in disarray and lips kiss-swollen.  But that was not something Abigail could focus on right now.

Abigail took another couple steps back, wrapping her arms around herself protectively.  “This isn’t just some fling to me.”

“Abigail…”  Stephanie took a step forward, hesitating when Abigail shied away.

Abigail shook her head.  “No, I need to know that this isn’t just because you broke up with Liam.  I can’t be your rebound.”

“Abigail,” Stephanie repeated, stepping forward again and wrapping her arms around Abigail’s shoulders.  “You are not just some rebound to me.  Come on.”  She led Abigail back into the living room, this time sitting closer to her and taking her hand.  “I broke up with Liam because you kissed me, not the other way around.”

“You did?”  Hope crept into Abigail’s voice as she looked up at Stephanie, eyes glassy.

Stephanie nodded, squeezing Abigail’s hand.  “I did.  I had never consciously thought about it, but I guess you kissing me made me realize that something was there and has been there for a long time.”

“And what’s that?”  Abigail whispered.

Stephanie took a deep breath.  “That I feel the same way.”  She looked up at Abigail hesitantly.

“Truly?”  A ghost of a smile flashed across Abigail’s face

Stephanie brushed a lock of hair behind Abigail’s ear, cupping her cheek.  “Truly.”  She leaned forward, kissing Abigail gently.

Abigail responded enthusiastically, pulling away after a moment with a relieved laugh, a wide smile on her face.  “I can’t believe this is really happening.”

Stephanie giggled.  “I thought you Merriwick women saw everything coming.”

“Yet you continue to surprise me.”  Abigail’s smile grew impossibly wider.

“Well I hope I do, it’s no fun if I can’t surprise you from time to time.”  Stephanie nudged Abigail playfully, smile just as wide as hers was.

“I’ll do my best to not see it coming then,” Abigail responded, a mock seriousness in her tone, before leaning in for another quick kiss.  “I suppose we should thank Cassie, I’d have never gotten up the courage to talk to you without her.”

“I do believe you are right.  But not right now.”  Stephanie stood.  “Right now, how does wine and a movie sound?”

A sly grin came over Abigail’s face.  “Why Stephanie, are you asking me to ‘netflix and chill’?  What kind of woman do you think I am?”

“Don’t get ahead of yourself, slick,” Stephanie laughed.  “Wine and a movie is far from ‘netflix and chill’.  You need to take me on at least one proper date before that option is even on the table.”

“Hmm,” Abigail pretended to think.  “I suppose I can agree to those terms.  One condition though.”

Stephanie raised an eyebrow.  “And what’s that?”

“I get to pick the movie.”

Stephanie laughed.  “You drive a hard bargain, Pershing.  Deal.”

“Would you really expect anything less from me?”  Abigail gave her a questioning look.

Stephanie shook her head, smile still on her face.  “Nope, but that’s the way I like it.”

**Author's Note:**

> Hallmark can pry this ship from my cold dead hands tbh
> 
> I can be found on tumblr at pipperlowonida if anyone wants to yell about this ship with me


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